Pyrrhus

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

Pyrrhus 319-272 B.C. King of Epirus (306-302 and 297-272) who defeated the Romans at Heraclea (280) and Asculum (279) despite his own staggering losses.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

proper n. Ancient Greek given name, particularly worn by the king of Epirus (319-272 BC) who defeated Romans in several battles, but sustained heavy losses, from which the term Pyrrhic victory was coined.

After taking Gytheum Nabis returned with his army equipped for rapid marching, and hurrying past Lacedaemon he seized a position known as Pyrrhus 'Camp, which he felt quite certain that the Achaeans were making for.

Among his other servants he had a young man called Pyrrhus, who was sprightly and well bred and comely of his person and adroit in all that he had a mind to do, and him he loved and trusted over all else.

(where Lycomedes then reigned) in his nonage to be brought up; to avoid that hard destiny of the oracle (he should be slain at the siege of Troy): and for that cause was nurtured in Genesco, amongst the king's children in a woman's habit; but see the event: he compressed Deidamia, the king's fair daughter, and had a fine son, called Pyrrhus by her.